Central Africa

Central Africa is home to the Congo Basin — the world's second-largest tropical rainforest and one of the most important carbon sinks on the planet. This sub-region is also among the most mineral-rich on earth, with vast deposits of cobalt, coltan, gold, and other critical minerals concentrated especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The pressure on communities and ecosystems is immense: illegal logging, unregulated mining, and the displacement of Indigenous peoples are endemic challenges.

Environmental defenders in Central Africa face some of the continent's most acute dangers. The criminalization of environmental advocacy, attacks on community leaders, and impunity for corporate and state actors are all well-documented. ERA's Central Africa hub, anchored by ACEDH in the DRC, works to build coalitions capable of pushing back — and to link these struggles to the continental campaign for a binding environmental rights agreement that would give communities enforceable protections.